Strange quarks and lattice QCD

The last few years have seen a dramatic improvement in our knowledge of the strange form factors of the nucleon. With regard to the vector from factors the level of agreement between theory and experiment gives us considerable confidence in our ability to calculate with non-perturbative QCD. The calculation of the strange scalar form factor has moved significantly in the last two years, with the application of new techniques which yield values considerably smaller than believed for the past 20 years. These new values turn out to have important consequences for the detection of neutralinos, a favourite dark matter candidate. Finally, very recent lattice studies have resurrected interest in the famed H-dibaryon, with modern chiral extrapolation of lattice data suggesting that it may be only slightly unbound. We review some of the major sources of uncertainty in that chiral extrapolation.Comment: Invited talk at the Asia-Pacific few Body Conference, Seoul Kore

Q methodology and rural research

Traditionally, rural scholarship has been limited in its methodological approach. This has begun to change in recent years as rural researchers have embraced a range of different methodological tools. The aim of this article is to contribute to greater methodological pluralism in rural sociology by introducing readers to a method of research that is rarely engaged in the field, that is, Q methodology. The article describes the defining features of the approach as well as providing examples of its application to argue that it is a method that offers particular opportunities and synergies for rural social science research

Future Directions in Parity Violation: From Quarks to the Cosmos

I discuss the prospects for future studies of parity-violating (PV) interactions at low energies and the insights they might provide about open questions in the Standard Model as well as physics that lies beyond it. I cover four types of parity-violating observables: PV electron scattering; PV hadronic interactions; PV correlations in weak decays; and searches for the permanent electric dipole moments of quantum systems.Comment: Talk given at PAVI 06 workshop on parity-violating interactions, Milos, Greece (May, 2006); 10 page

Proliferation, apoptosis and their regulatory protein expression in colorectal adenomas and serrated lesions

Background Adenomas and serrated lesions represent heterogeneous sets of early precursors in the colorectum with varying malignant potential. They are often distinguished by their histopathologic differences, but little is known about potential differences in regulation of epithelial proliferation and apoptosis. Methods We conducted a protein expression analysis using tissue microarrays of 625 colorectal adenomas and 142 serrated lesions to determine potential differences in regulation of epithelial proliferation and apoptosis. We quantitated proliferation with Ki-67; apoptosis with activated caspase-3 (CASP3); up- and down-regulators of proliferation with cyclin D1, p16INK2, and p21Cip1; and apoptosis regulators with BAX, BCL2, and survivin. Linear mixed effects models and circos diagrams were used to determine relationships among expression and lesion characteristics. Results Adenomas had a significantly higher CASP-3 labeling index (LI) than serrated lesions, resulting in a lower net growth ratio (Ki-67 LI/activated CASP-3 LI, p-value<0.0001). Cyclin D1 LI, p16 LI and p21 LI were lower in adenomas compared to serrated lesions, while expression of both BCL2 and BAX were higher (p <0.001). Among adenomas, cyclin D1 LI and p16 LI levels increased with greater villous component, and the highest BAX expression was detected in adenomas larger than 2 cm (both p<0.0001). Right-sided adenomas had higher CASP3 LI than left colorectal adenomas (p = 0.008). Significant differences in cyclin D1 LI, p21 LI and survivin LI were also observed across histopathologic subtypes of serrated lesions. Conclusions Our findings demonstrate different patterns of regulatory protein expression in adenomas than serrated lesions, especially involving apoptosis

Understandings of cervical screening in sexual minority women: A Q-methodological study

Discursive perspectives argue that cervical screening carries social and moral meaning. Overlooked by research into the health needs of sexual minority women, previous literature that has examined uptake of cervical screening has instead targeted increasing attendance via information and service provision. In order to explore the diversity of meanings that British sexual minority women have about cervical screening, the Q-sorts of 34 sexual minority women were factor analysed by-person and rotated to simple structure using Varimax. The five factors are interpreted and discussed relative to competing discourses on information provision within cervical screening. The five accounts are labelled 'cervical screening is': an essential health check that women have the right to refuse; a woman's health entitlement; a vital test but degrading experience; a sensible thing to do; and an unnecessary imposition for some women. Critical approaches to informed choice are explored with attention to recent developments in cervical cancer prevention. Findings highlighting the need for affirmation of diversity within healthcare are considered in relation to existing criteria for UK national screening programmes

Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) and Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) Conceptual Design Report Volume 2: The Physics Program for DUNE at LBNF

The Physics Program for the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) at the Fermilab Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) is described